Improved last-holder for the manufacture of boots and shoes



MICHAEL J. STEIN,

,or NEW YoRK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 88,227, lated March 23, 1869.

IMPRovED LAST-HOLDER PoR 'r1-IE MANUACTURE or' Boorsl AND SHOES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making parir of the same.

To all lwhom fit may concern:

' Be it known that I, MICHAEL J. STEIN, ot' the city,

county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Last-Holders for the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a side elevationof a last-holder, or jack, constructed in accordance with my improvement, and showing a last arranged thereon; Figure 2, a transverse section of said holder, through the line x x in fig. l; and

Figure 3, an inverted plan of the adj ustable plate, or frame-portion of the holder, and its attachments, with the base, or carrying-plate removed. y

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

' This, my invention, is more particularly designed to be applied to a loose jack, or last-holder, capable of heilig slid about, in various directions, on a bed, or table, for the purpose of adjusting the work to the action of the needle, as in machines for sewing the upper to the sole in turned boots' and shoes, 'or upper and Welt to an inner solo, in welted work.

The invention consists.-

First, in a novel construction of the jack, whereby the last is carried by a plate, or frame, arranged above the base, or carrying-plate of the holder, and adj ustable, in a vibrator-y manner, thereon, so that, while the jack, or last-holder, generally,may be slid as required over the table on which it rests and moves, the adjustable last-supporting plate, or frame, with its attachp ments for securing the last, may be separately adjusted,

or rocked, to givie a reverse vertical adjustment of the lastat its toe and heel, and intermediate portions, for the purpose of facilitating stitching, or working, on crooked lasts.

Secondly, the invention consists in a combination of a dog, or dogs, and rack, or their equivalents, with the adjustable last-holding plate, or frame, and base-plate ofthe jack, for lookin g, or stopping the adjustable plate, or frame, at different elevations, or angles.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- A is the base, or carrying-plate of the jack, designed to rest on the snrfaceof the table, so that it may be slid thereon in any direction required.

B B are standards, or uprights, erected, one on either side of the base-plate A, and serving to carry, by trannions au, and suitable side connections, or extensions b b, a last-carrying plate, or frame C, arranged above the base-plate A, and adjustable in a vibratory manner, or in reverse vertical directions, at its opposite ends, from the trunnions a a as centres of motion.

D represent the last, which has a hole made in the upper part of it, to fit a perpendicular stud,c. This pin, or stud,is iitted to and securedin a socket, d, by a set-screw, c, which socket is carn'ed by a base,

or plate, et, adjustable by a slotted attachment and locking-nut, and screw, j, along ways g g, on the up- -drical stem, lt, arranged to slide up and down in a socket, l, carried by the base-block 71.,- and a projection, m, from `the side of this stem, is made to bear on the periphery of a'cam, a, fast to a short arbor, mounted in a projection from the base-block, and provided with a handle, o, so that the operator, by turning the arbor, causes the cam n to lift the crutch, and thus force it up against the instep of the last, and, as the last is fitted on to the pin c, the same, by the force applied to its toe-end, becomes irmly secured to the plate, or frame C.

The base-block, which carries the crutch, may be secured at its required distance from the pin c by any suitable means, as, for instance, by a second cam, ar- A ranged on the arbor to which the handle o-is attached, and made to action the upper end of a spring-clip, to force it down into contact with the upper surfapeof the plate C, the two cams being so arranged, in relation to eachother, as that, by moving the handle o, the base-block is rst secured in position before the crutch is forced up against the instep of the last.

The swinging, or adjustable plate, or frame, O, hung, as described, by the .trunnions a a, may be provided, at or near its back end,witl1 an adjustable stop, or pin, E, arranged to screw into or through the base, or plate 6*, to limit the downwardadj ustmeut of the heel-portion of the last, and give said frame O a fixed character, as

it were.

' To facilitate working on a crooked last, I tip, or tilt the plate, or frame G, by rocking it on or by means of its trunnions a o, for the purpose of elevating or de pressing the toe or heel, or intermediaie portions of the last, and, when so adjusted, cause the frame C to be locked in the varied angular position thus given it. This is accomplished by means of dogs, r r, arranged toproject from, or attached to slotted plates F F, made capable of sliding in a transverse direction to thc plate C, with which they are connected, said dogs being so set, or arranged, as, when the plate, or frame C is rocked, to enter ,alternately between teeth, s s, of al rack, G, attached to the base-plate A, and alternately to bear against the outer faces, or edges of said teeth. This duplication of holding-dogs, and set of them re1- ativelyto the rack, provides for a rapid, yet close, or nice adjustment of the last-holding frame G, by either one dog being always at liberty, or nearly so, except when purposely restrained, to enter between the teeth oi the rack, to lock the frame C at the angular set given by rocking it, while the other dog, during such motion to said frame, rests on, or is travelling over the outside edge of a tooth, for gear with the rack as the irstnamed dog leaves it.

Springs, H H, arranged to act upon the slides F F, serve to throw and keep the dogs fr /r 'alternately in locking-connection with the rack, and said dogs are released from gear therewithfwhen it is required to swing or angularly adjust the last-holding frame and last, by pressing inward handles, 0r levers, I I, which are connected with the slides F F, by means of pins n u, made to lit, or enter slots a: 'v in both, or opposite ends of said slides, so that, by pressing inward either lever H H, or both olf them, the adjustable frame, or plate O is released from lock, and by releasing pressure from said handles, the lock re-established through the agency of either spring H H.

NVhat is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

G, the slotted slides F F, the springs H H, the levers I I, and the dogs fr r, carried by said slides, and set, or arranged relatively to the-teeth ofthe rack, for op eration substantially as specified;

MICHAEL J. STEIN.

Witnesses:

'J M. DIXON,

J. W. OooMBs.

justable, or rocking last-holding plate C, of the rack 

